A Story of Love and Courage
by Theodosius
Summary: What if Kyoko's plan to save Sayaka worked? Will Walpurgis Night be stopped by the magical girls of Mitakihara? And will this be the kind of story that made Kyoko become one?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

** Symposium Magarum  
**

This was where she belonged.

The pleasant tone of a powerful, symphonic music filled the ears and the heart. The sound of violins reverberated throughout the vast, comforting emptiness of the world. Black and white imagery of a grandiose concert dominated the senses and the mind. Countless music notes floated in the air, high above the white silhouettes of the orchestra. Strings, trumpet, piano and percussion resounded together in perfect unison. It was the symphony of absolute paradise.

It lasted forever.

Forever it shall last.

And that was okay, because nothing was better than this. It was just as it should be – the epitome of happiness and exaltation, which was etched in every single note of the symphony. Rid of evil, this was an ode to the triumph of goodness.

It was one of the silhouettes right in the center of this heavenly dimension who was letting out the soothing tunes of music. His silhouette being the whitest of them all, he was one of the many playing the violins. The concertmaster. Yet, in a way, he was also the real conductor in this performance.

His masterpiece went on and on. His music transcended the laws and boundaries of the world.

What else remained but for one to lose themselves in this spectacle and become part of it?

Invitingly, the black notes beckoned participation, as did the concertmaster's soft smile. And to do so would be to ascend with them. That was what this was: a ritual of ascendance of the spirit, the cleansing of all sin.

An unused black violin was just waiting to be played, right next to the concertmaster. Joining in was the way to the perfection of this symphony – the only way to make the concert truly complete. It was, without a doubt, the right thing to do.

Voices even began to echo across the vast expanse. Background to the music, they integrated themselves seamlessly with the wonderful instrumentals. Personal participation was the only thing that this concert now required. It was as easy as simply reaching out to the violin—

_–Red._

The slightest shade of red appeared on the concertmaster's silhouette while the music kept going. It was a stark contrast that needed to be fixed. The voices were getting louder too, their harmonious nature with the symphony steadily dwindling.

No. This could not be anything less than perfect. The violin had to be played–

"…Sayaka!"

The sound of an off-key voice was distorting the music, making the violins screech for the briefest of moments. What was this?

"…Sayaka-chan… please…"

_Pink._

These were last attempts of the force of a squirming evil to overthrow the concert, as expected. They did not get so far only to be defeated. Something had to be done, else—

"You said you could make people happy with this power!"

–Else this would have been all for nothing. Even the music notes reflected that, their shape twisting to the point of no resemblance of what they originally stood for. The symphony had to go back on track.

The violin was awaiting, but… why was it so difficult to touch it? Why did it feel… wrong? Could it be that this was not what had to be done?

The red color was spreading. It was tainting the white silhouettes.

"…Don't worry, Sayaka."

This was not right, this… this voice was not sinister. It should have been. It had to be.

But… it was not. On top of that, there was something unmistakable familiar about it. Was it truly tainting, or was it purifying?

"It's lonely being by yourself."

Moreover, for an inexplicable reason, it brought hope. An all-too-familiar sense of hope.

Light began entering this supposed void. The music was getting louder, but it was not getting any more beautiful. It was rough and forceful. The violins stung, the piano hurt, the concertmaster's skewed form frightened.

All this needed to stop. There had to be a way out of this painful existence.

As if trying to crack the shell of an egg, a strong force began struggling to break free from this prison. There was something else out there, something that had the answer...

…Somewhere that she needed to be.

"I'll stay by your side… Sayaka."

Like a collapsing building, the orchestra fell into the abyss.

* * *

** Serena Ira  
**

It had to be true, then. A witch's strength was equal to the good deeds that the magical girl had done before transforming. And only Sayaka could be this strong.

It hadn't worked, not even just this once. Kyoko's pleas had gone by unheard and ignored – Sayaka was not coming back. The face of the abomination that was her witch form was indeed all that was left from her.

_Damn_… and she actually thought that this would work. She had even put Kaname in danger because of her stupidity, too.

There was only one thing left to do. She knew what Sayaka would want – she'd want to be ended. The stubborn, headstrong blunette would want to prevent any more innocent deaths, as she always did. Because that was the kind of person she was. She may've said that she didn't care anymore moments before she transformed, but Kyoko knew that was not true. The Sayaka she remembered, if anything, cared _too much_.

Kyoko couldn't quite put an end to her, though… not without taking out herself in the process as well.

But maybe, just maybe… this story could still have a bittersweet ending. It would not be the story that she had hoped for, but if there was even the slightest chance that she could ease both her and Sayaka's suffering, she would take it.

It was not like she had anything to lose.

Kyoko had barely survived through the loss of her whole family, which had left her a broken individual. Understandably, she had doubts as to whether she would be able to repeat the feat this time around.

She had long since believed that people died alone. But she didn't want to believe that anymore. Not since Sayaka reminded her of certain feelings of her former self.

_Heh._ Maybe this was truly crazy, but in this moment, Kyoko found herself preferring crazy and hopeful over sane and utterly dejected.

"Don't worry, Sayaka. It's lonely being by yourself. It's fine. I'll stay by your side… Sayaka."

The redhead took out her Soul Gem, gently kissing it before lifting it in the air.

_I'm so sorry for everything that's happened… Dad, Momo, Sayaka…_

With a look of determination on her face, she prepared the ultimate attack of her spear that would destroy her and Sayaka and—

–Whiteness. A bright, white light blinded her senses. A harsh, dissonant sound reached Kyoko's ears, a familiar sound that indicated the disappearance of a witch's labyrinth. For a few moments afterward, she could neither see nor hear anything. A strong gust of wind was making her clothes flap in the air.

This lasted for at least a whole minute.

So… had she done it? Was this what death felt like? There was something strange about it. For one thing, she had thought she'd feel the immense pain of her Soul Gem breaking to pieces, at least. Probably also lose her bodily form. Instead, nothing was really different except for the thick mist that was now surrounding her. If this was literally what awaited her for an eternity, it would get boring real fast.

Furthermore, there didn't seem to be any solid ground beneath her—

_Thump_.

Now, that _did_ hurt a little. It felt like she… fell from somewhere?

Startled, Kyoko realized that her vision was actually returning to her as the fog around her dispersed. And what she saw, as her body lied on a cold floor, was nothing like what she expected to see after death.

There was her oval-shaped red Soul Gem on the floor beside her, all well and still in one piece. But it wasn't the only one – another orb, blue as blue can be, was lying right next to it.

"…_Sayaka?!_"

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Screw the rules, Sayaka's back! *Ahem* Hello, everybody! Welcome to my Madoka fic! This story will consist of eight more chapters - don't worry, all the others will be longer than this one - and it will focus primarily on Sayaka and Kyoko, although Homura and Madoka will also have large roles in it. I will most likely be releasing the next chapter in about three days or so.

Throughout the story, I will also be putting in bolded parts (like in this chapter) referencing the tracks of Puella Magi Madoka Magica's wonderful OST that I personally believe fit the scene that follows the most. If you want to, I recommend playing the cited song at the indicated point for maximum immersion.

Anyway, hope you've enjoyed the intro so far!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Incertus**

Kyoko hadn't even transformed back to her normal self yet.

Still clad in her red magical girl dress, the girl flew as fast as the wind could carry her, Sayaka's Soul Gem clutched tightly in her hands. Brows scrunched in expectation and eyes wide with regained hope, she hastily jumped from roof to roof. The bright light from the full moon above illuminated her long red hair that she still wore down.

Though the nature of her Soul Gem had prevented her from experiencing the pain she otherwise would have when battling the witch, it hadn't absorbed all of it. However, right now, the veteran could barely feel any of it.

_My goodness… my goodness… Am I dreaming?! Damn, please don't let this be a dream…_

With how bad her luck had been throughout her life, it was an absolute shock to Kyoko's system that something had actually gone _right_. She had shut herself off from false expectations for so long that this sheer _exhilaration_ was already such an alien feeling.

She shook her head. _No time to celebrate yet! I need to see this through… I need to see Sayaka's eyes fill back with life… I can't be sure if this isn't a trick or something…_

Making her way through Mitakihara, Kyoko eventually landed on the roof of a tall skyscraper – one of the many that made up the gorgeous cityscape of the urban metropolis. She made her way down from there back to the hotel room on the topmost floor, paying little to no attention to the amount of noise she made or how conspicuous her obviously unearthly powers of levitation were.

Swiftly opening and then closing the door behind her, Kyoko immediately rushed to the bedroom. Seeing the lifeless body of the blue-haired magical girl on the bed – just as she had left it – made Kyoko's heart lurch before she went to her side.

Eyelids firmly closed and shoulder-length hair sprawled on the pillow, Sayaka didn't seem any less dead now than she had before Kyoko had gone to duel with the witch.

_For now… for now…_

"Sayaka!" Kyoko exclaimed, putting the girl's Soul Gem in the palm of her hand. _Damn, her skin is stone-cold already..._

At that moment, Kyoko reverted back to her normal appearance, now wearing her usual loose green hoodie and denim shorts. She pulled out her own Soul Gem, hoping that its warm light was going to be enough to do the trick. It was somewhat tainted from the fight, and she had to use a little more of its power, but she would worry about that later.

She was seriously thankful that fire was her element – no other method would've been nearly as effective otherwise.

"Don't you dare die on me now, Sayaka! You _owe_ me after the beating you gave me. It hurt, y'know!"

Her sharp gaze flickering, Kyoko watched Sayaka's face with anticipation as she knelt next to the bed, holding up her Soul Gem next to her kohai's. The dark bedroom was dimly lit in red and blue, the colors emanating from the Soul Gems of the two magical girls.

_Come on, come on… _

Frozen in spot, waiting for Sayaka to show any sign of life, Kyoko's heart was threatening to beat out of her chest from the sheer anxiety. Every second that went by felt like eternity. One passed after the other – and nothing was happening.

_Why? Her body's getting warmer, and her Soul Gem is right next to it. This should be working!_

_Don't tell me… I was too late? Is Sayaka—_

–_Gasp_.

A sharp intake of air resounded throughout the room as Sayaka's blue eyes suddenly opened, followed by a series of violent coughs while the girl's body shook on the bed.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko exclaimed with a sudden burst of joy. She then released a breath that she hadn't realized she was even holding, the shock almost making her drop her Soul Gem on the floor. "You shouldn't have scared me like that, stupid! You _are_ alive!"

The blue-haired middleschooler was still in no condition to answer. She had closed her eyes while she let out a few more coughs and then took several deep breaths, her body slowly relaxing as she did so. Kyoko watched her with relief written all over her face, having had to calm down almost as much as Sayaka herself.

"You're alive…" she repeated quietly to herself, sighing. Her eyes watered just a little.

Sayaka blinked as her mouth gaped, her gaze first registering the sight of the ceiling above. Everything about her expression spoke complete and total confusion.

"Sayaka?" Kyoko said and in so doing made her presence known to her kohai. There was concern in her voice, but it was overshadowed by the sheer mirth at the fact that her plan had worked and they were both alive. Seeing the life return in Sayaka's eyes was simply priceless.

"Wh-where… where am I?" Sayaka asked with a blank look on her face, slowly turning her head to look at Kyoko and noticing the blue Soul Gem in her palm.

"You're—You're safe here, don't worry," Kyoko answered after some hesitation. _Probably not the best idea to immediately tell her that I've sort of… commandeered this hotel room._

She stood up and then sat on the edge of the bed next to Sayaka's lying body. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"I…" Sayaka uttered, glancing at Kyoko before gazing at her Soul Gem again. "What… what's going on?"

"It's fine, it's fine," Kyoko spoke as she tried to calm her friend down. _She's a_ _friend, huh… a friend I risked everything for. My only friend, really. Who I tried to kill a few days ago. Man, I really have gone nuts._ "You're alive and well, that's what matters. Your Soul Gem is not corrupted."

"My… Soul Gem…" Sayaka weakly looked at the orb, and within the span of a few seconds, her features showed that she had a moment of abrupt recollection. "But I… died, didn't I? I… I thought I did – when I talked to you on the station…"

Kyoko looked away towards the window of the bedroom, glancing at Sayaka out of the corner of her eye.

_Crap… she doesn't seem to remember what happened to her. She was already losing her mind because of all that 'Soul Gem being your true body' business, so I can take a guess how she'd react when I tell her that we also turn to freaking witches. I didn't bring her back so she can go all berserk on me again. I have to break it to her gently…_

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kyoko asked in a few moments with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"I…" Sayaka looked at the ceiling, obviously trying to piece together her thoughts. About a minute passed until she replied, "I don't know why, but I seem to remember… music. There was a concert, an orchestra… it was like a nightmare."

_It sure was._

Sayaka looked like she was still struggling with her memories, so Kyoko stayed quiet until her kohai said more.

"The only other thing I can remember is hearing voices too… but I can't think of anything else. This is… really strange."

"Voices?"

"Yeah."

Kyoko closed her eyes and shifted her legs a little as she folded her arms. She had to admit that she was curious if it was _her_ voice that Sayaka had heard.

_Heh, get real. It was probably Kaname – they've been friends since forever after all, while _I_ tried to goad Sayaka into fighting me to the death twice. And sort of bullied her. We weren't exactly best buds, were we? Though… why does it even matter as long as the plan worked?_

"Hey…" Sayaka said, breaking the redhead out of her reverie. There was unmistakable _grief_ in the girl's voice as she asked, "Tell me, please… why am I alive? I should be dead."

Kyoko gritted her teeth in a flash of anger. Though she tried to stop herself, she couldn't help but snap.

"Do you _want_ to be dead, now? I thought you wanted to keep Mitakihara safe from even the smallest, tiniest bloody Familiar you come across. I thought you wanted to help people! And you can actually continue doing that now!"

"I told you…" Sayaka looked at her Soul Gem ruefully, tears welling up in her eyes. "Not if I bring equal despair too, not if I become… a _monster_… full of hatred and jealousy."

Kyoko shuddered. Sayaka didn't realize how close to the mark she hit as far as the true nature of their Soul Gems was concerned. The redhead exhaled, already regretting her outburst. She then remembered what she had _meant_ to say to Sayaka – what she_ could've_ said – before Sayaka turned into a witch.

"I almost… I almost…" Sayaka continued as she sobbed, struggling with her words. "I almost _killed_ two people… only because of what they said… and… Madoka! Madoka, where is she?"

_Shit, Kaname. Right. She probably thinks Sayaka is dead… She probably thinks I'm dead, too. I can't just leave Sayaka and go tell her and Homura what happened right now, though. The reunions can wait._

"She's fine, don't worry about her," Kyoko abruptly spoke, _really_ hoping that Homura had managed to take care of the pinkette and ensured her safety as she had promised she would. All she ever seemed to care about was her anyway. "Listen to me, Sayaka. I was kind of hoping we'd share a little snack first, y'know, start off slow, but it looks like I need to get this out of the way now."

On instinct, Kyoko grabbed Sayaka's hand with her own and squeezed it tightly, looking at her with an intense look in her eyes – with as serious of an expression as she could manage. She could tell that Sayaka was startled, but she had to get the point across through her thick skull.

"Sayaka, you're _not_ a monster. You're one of the kindest and well-intentioned people I've ever met, and your heart is always in the right place. Hell, you're still half-dead and you sit here worrying about your girlfriend Kaname instead," Kyoko began saying to her, watching the younger girl's flickering gaze look right back at her.

"A kind person would not even think of the things I've—"

Kyoko sighed with exasperation. _Honestly, I don't believe I've met anyone this headstrong before. Though I guess that's what piqued my interest in the first place._

"You _have_ to stop seeing the world in black and white, stupid," Kyoko said as she raised her voice at her. "We _all_ have a selfish side to us, but it's what we _do_ that counts. You need to realize that or you'll keep destroying yourself. None of us are saints, but that doesn't mean we're monsters, either."

"But… but you said that—"

"Forget all that crap I filled your head with," Kyoko shook her hand, feeling no need for Sayaka to clarify further. "I was wrong too. Hope and despair do not equate themselves to zero. And I have proof – you're here, and you're freaking _alive_. So for the love of all that is good and holy, stop moping around and listen to your far more experienced senpai! Um, I mean this time…"

Some color returned to Sayaka's cheeks as the girl stared at Kyoko with a conflicted expression and what looked like surprise. Kyoko gave her a grin before she chuckled, hoping that some lightheartedness would help get all of this through to her. And indeed, the fact that she wasn't saying anything to refute her this time was a good sign.

Pulling her hand away from Sayaka's, she then made use of the brief silence that had fallen between them to walk up to the pile of junk food that she had on the bedroom floor. Though she wasn't exactly famished, she could still feel a little hunger, and it was already reminding her of a time of her life that she wanted to keep locked away.

"Now, I don't know about you, but _I_'m starving," she said with a grin, grabbing a pair of pocky boxes and walking up to Sayaka again to give one of them to her. "And I think I prefer philosophizing on a full stomach."

Kyoko practically beamed at the sight of the faintest of smiles on Sayaka's face. She even spent a few seconds fixing and straightening the bangs of her blue hair with her fingers, and there seemed to be no more tears forming in her eyes. The girl then slowly shifted her body on the bed, sat up and slouched on the wall – visibly with some difficulty.

"Ugh… my body's a little numb," she spoke. The smile she previously had on her lips was unfortunately short-lived, however, as Sayaka took on a forlorn expression again. Her eyes drooping somewhat, she asked, "Just tell me… what happened after we spoke on the station? I can see that you're trying to hide something."

The redhead sighed as she opened her box and needily began chewing on one of the pocky sticks. _She'll find out sooner or later, so I might as well tell her. Hopefully she won't react as badly after what I just said._

She pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, her eyes making contact with Sayaka's. Obviously struggling as to how to start, Kyoko eventually gave up and decided that she was going to be blunt about this.

"You… you turned into a witch," she said as she looked away for a second, hearing the expected sound of her friend's gasp. After a short pause, broken only by Kyoko's continuous chewing, she continued, "That's what happens to us, magical girls… When our Soul Gems become fully corrupted, we don't just die. We turn into witches. One more thing that bastard Kyubey neglected to tell us about, heh."

"We… we've been fighting… _magical girls_?" Sayaka spoke after almost a minute, looking positively horrified. "All this time, all those witches we slayed, the Familiars… they were _magical girls_?"

"Well… they weren't magical girls anymore," the older girl answered, shaking her head and frowning a little. "It's not like they could control what they were doing – much like you couldn't help but beat the hell out of me while you were a witch. And I'm sure you didn't mean to."

Kyoko then chuckled while she began eating another pocky stick, opting for a more light-hearted approach to the subject. As much as that was possible given what the subject _was_, anyway.

"When you think about it, Grief Seeds _do_ look a lot like Soul Gems, huh?" she asked, rubbing her neck a little as she gave a wry smile. _Sayaka reacted just as I expected…_ _it's a wonder why I'm so calm, really. Well, I actually know why._

Sayaka's eyes, still widened in shock, looked at the Soul Gem in her hand. "But… why isn't this a Grief Seed, then?"

"That's the good news, Sayaka," Kyoko beamed at her, grinning from ear to ear. "There seems to be a way around. I…" She could feel her cheeks flush a little, but she went on anyway. "When you turned, I… I didn't want to give up on you, so… I thought that, if like, you managed to hear a friend's voice calling out to you or somethin'… you might remember who you are."

Sayaka's fixed stare in Kyoko's direction wasn't helping. Judging by the intensity of her gaze, she was thinking _hard_ on what she was just told.

"The music that was playing, that concert… that must've been from back when I transformed," she extrapolated, still looking at Kyoko thoughtfully. "And the voices I heard, I remember now… I heard Madoka, and I heard you, too. That's what made me try to escape and… get back here."

_Oh, so she did hear me too, then... I wonder if she remembers exactly what I said? Wait, what am I getting excited over?_

"That was the plan," Kyoko spoke, smiling at Sayaka after she gulped down her next piece of pocky. "I thought that you'd hear Kaname, at least, and in the end I didn't have to strike you down. You just… kind of disappeared at one point and your Soul Gem just appeared out of the blue on the ground. A part of me didn't really think the plan would work, but it did, Sayaka. I thought I would get despair equal to the hope I had, just like before with my father… but instead, I got even more hope this time in return."

"Madoka… I didn't hurt her, did I?" Sayaka asked nervously, her hand hardening its grip on the unopened box of pocky that she was still holding_._

"Well… I was the one who brought her there with me, so it's not your fault," Kyoko answered tentatively, but was quick to add after seeing Sayaka's eyes beginning to widen, "But she's with Homura now. I know how you feel about her – I'm not a fan of her either, hell I think she might be a witch already – but for some reason she cares about Kaname's safety a lot. I know she's taking proper care of her right now. Trust me on this."

Sayaka blinked a few times, still looking dumbfounded and contemplative, but not nearly as horror-struck as she was a couple of minutes ago. She seemed a little reluctant, but judging by her relaxed grip on the pocky box, she had opted to trust Kyoko.

"And… you?" she then asked her concernedly.

"Hah, who, me?" Kyoko replied, putting a hand on her hip and scoffing nonchalantly. "Nothing but a few scratches. I mean, don't get me wrong – you were good, but not _that_ good. You still have a lot to learn, I'm afraid."

Not entirely true, but right _now_ she _was_ feeling pretty much perfect.

"Let me take a look at your Soul Gem," Sayaka suddenly spoke with evident worry in her tone.

_Damn, I forgot about that._

"It's okay, it's not—"

"Just let me see it."

Kyoko knew this was a fight she couldn't win, so she conceded with a sigh. The girl pulled out her Soul Gem from her pocket for a second, which was clearly more black in color than red by now. Sayaka gasped again.

"Kyoko, you can't risk getting into any more fights, I will find a witch and—"

"Sayaka, you have to _rest_ now," Kyoko laughed, returning the oval-shaped Soul Gem in her pocket. _Of course this was what I thought she'd say. But… I think that's the first time she's addressed me by my first name, right? I didn't expect to hear _that_, but it's… really nice._ "I've been in worse situations before, trust me. Besides, if push comes to shove, Homura can get a Grief Seed for me. You really need—"

"You saved me, I can't just sit here and—"

"The best way to repay me, if you really insist on doing that, is to stay here for a while, wait to get better, and open your damn box of pocky and eat some with me."

Silence fell upon them again. Kyoko had expected – and wanted – to see Sayaka smile again, but she was still obviously worried about the whole situation, eyes looking down at the floor wistfully.

_Not that I blame her – it isn't every day that you die, then get brought back to life, and learn that you were an abomination in the time between and can _still _become one. Man, this so messed up._

"I know this is a lot to take in, heh… I'm still kind of shaken by all that's happened too," Kyoko finally said after a minute, standing up as she started to pace around the room. "But… point is, you were right to be hopeful, Sayaka. We can defy the odds, and I'm sure we can find a way to beat Walpurgis Night too, especially now that you're here. If we do, we won't have to worry about turning into witches. I mean, Kyubey didn't think we could bring you back either, but we did."

"Kyoko…" Sayaka eventually said, making the redhead stop pacing as she turned her head to look at the blunette. The veteran didn't fail to notice that she referred to her by her first name again – she wanted to get used to hearing that. "I don't know what to think about all of this yet and I'm still feeling pretty weak, but… what I want to say is – thank you… and… I'm sorry for everything and… for being so hostile to you before. I really was wrong about you."

"Heh, don't worry about all that, stupid," Kyoko waved her hand dismissively as her cheeks went almost as red as her hair was. "It's not like I gave a very good first impression, eh? I did sort of try to kill you, after all."

"Well… in some ways I was kind of asking for it," Sayaka gave a faint, but very much a real and infectious smile. _Now there's the Sayaka I wanted to see. Man, I still can't believe she's actually here. _"I _am_ one of the most stubborn people on the planet. Madoka can attest to that."

"Oh, I don't need her to," Kyoko playfully stuck her tongue out at her.

"It seems like that has rubbed off on you a little though," Sayaka observed, raising one of her brows at her curiously.

"Well… I guess you could say that," Kyoko muttered with a small smile, suspiciously stuffing herself with a couple of pocky sticks and averting her gaze from Sayaka for a brief moment, her blush reappearing again, now more intense than ever.

However, she couldn't help but look back at Sayaka as soon as she heard the girl finally opening her own pocky box.

_Heh. Sayaka's really back_.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Thanks for the reviews, everybody - I appreciate it! Glad you're enjoying the story so far! Hmm, as for whether flipping of desks will be required... well, I can't quite answer that, can I? :P _But_ you might want to stick around...

Anyway, I know that Homura and Madoka are still absent, but don't worry - they'll be making their first appearance in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Puella in Somnio**

"You have… done the impossible."

Homura stood still in disbelief, visibly taken unawares for the first time since Kyoko met her. Her usual cold, calm eyes now showed absolute shock. As if the sheer surprise from seeing Kyoko casually appear before her in one piece hadn't been enough, the news the redhead brought with her were even more unbelievable.

"Heh. Not as impossible as you thought it'd be, eh?" Kyoko replied, flipping her hair with a smug look on her face.

The two girls were currently in Homura's place, which was still just as creepy as Kyoko remembered it being. The swinging pendulum, the perfectly white walls all around them, the holographic displays, the unnerving graveyard silence…

_I can never tell what the deal with this one is._

"…This is the first time it has ever happened," Homura uttered in an almost inaudible tone of voice with her hand thoughtfully on her chin.

Kyoko couldn't help but be intrigued by the fellow magical girl's demeanor. She always had this air about her as if she knew much more than she let on – and of course, her timing when arriving at the scene was always impeccable – but now, she looked truly at loss for words.

"Well, they do say that there's a first time for everything," Kyoko spoke, taking one more bite from the apple she had started eating a little earlier. "With Sayaka back, we have an even better chance of beating Walpurgis Night. Kyubey can mind his own damn business – I say we stop listening to that nasty, slimy liar. Speaking of, where_ is_ he, anyway?"

"I do not know… I have not seen him since I brought Madoka back to her residence," Homura replied as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, deep in thought. "I would expect that he will eventually go to her, trying to make a contract again… But right now, I am not sure. I waited for a while before going back here, but it did not look like he was with her."

"Isn't that a little strange?" Kyoko asked with her brow raised. "For a while now, he's kept following us everywhere, always with his annoying commentary. Now he's just vanished?"

"Be careful, Sakura-san," Homura eventually spoke after some more contemplation. "With this turn of events, I have no idea what is going to happen next until the time comes for Walpurgis Night."

"Then, could it be that you've finally decided to be more of a team player from now on?" Kyoko gave a pouting Homura a sharp look, which she obviously didn't appreciate very much.

"All I know is that Madoka cannot contract with Kyubey," Homura continued unflinchingly. "No matter what happens…"

"It's not like I want her to either, but why is it so important that she doesn't?" Kyoko inquired as she chewed on the apple.

"It just is," Homura promptly answered as she narrowed her eyes again a little defensively. "Besides… after you learned the final secret of the Soul Gems, it seems wise not to have any more magical girls than we need, right?"

"Yes, of course, _now_ you tell me about that," Kyoko retorted with a frown of her own.

_Damn, she seriously ticks me off sometimes. Who knows how differently things would've gone if we all knew what she did…_

_At least she does seem slightly more cooperative now, I guess._

"Where is Miki-san?" Homura then asked.

"Went to visit Kaname," Kyoko let out an exasperated sigh, took another bite and then chortled. "I could barely make that idiot stay in bed for a few more hours until she insisted she felt good enough to leave. If she goes off fighting Familiars on her own again though, I'm gonna kill her."

* * *

**Conturbatio**

Sayaka stood in front of the door of Madoka's house, sighing anxiously as the morning wind rustled the leaves of the trees nearby. Her bluish eyes were looking downward, worry etched on the features of her somewhat pale face.

She had to come here. She had to see Madoka. As much as Kyoko had tried to get her to relax, Sayaka couldn't calm down without making sure her closest friend was alright. All that she learned in the past few hours, as terrifying as some of it was, took a back seat to her classmate's well-being.

Finally, she rang the bell.

_Madoka… I hope you're really okay… Please be alright._

A few more seconds passed until Sayaka found herself face-to-face with Madoka's mother Junko, who was already wearing her work outfit and was obviously preparing to leave, even if reluctantly. Even before they finished with their respective greetings, the apologetic look on Junko's face was apparent.

"I'm so sorry," she told the young girl with a worried tone in her wavering voice. "Madoka has confined herself to her room again… I don't know what to do anymore. I tried talking to her earlier as I did yesterday, but she simply isn't responding to me."

Sayaka's eyes widened, finding herself clenching her fist.

_Look at what you did to your friend. Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

"She isn't telling me about anything that's been going on with her," Junko continued as she rubbed her temples. "And I have no idea how to help her. I've never seen her like this."

_And I actually thought I'd rather stay dead. I didn't give Madoka's feelings a second thought…_

"Kaname-san," Sayaka spoke with newfound determination in her eyes stemming from her desire to make things right. "Can I give it a try too, please? Maybe she'll open up to me."

"Please do," Junko implored as she gestured for Sayaka to enter the house. "I can't stand seeing Madoka like this anymore."

"Thank you, Kaname-san," Sayaka bowed and immediately began walking up the stairs to the second floor, making her way towards Madoka's room.

Sayaka hadn't thought about what she was going to say, and she didn't even want to think of the possibility that Madoka would be so mad at her that she wouldn't even want to talk to her – but she was going to try talking to her regardless. Maybe it was a little selfish of her, but she simply needed to see her friend okay as well, else she couldn't move on.

The girl was now standing in front of the door to Madoka's room, and after another deep sigh, she knocked. She couldn't help but notice that her hand was trembling a little.

"I told you…" Madoka's feeble voice could be heard through the door. "Leave me alone…"

Sayaka's chest tightened. _Madoka… she sounds so devastated. I don't ever want to hear her like this anymore. Whatever it takes, I'll protect her. I promised I would._

_Okay… let's try something light-hearted to cheer her up._

"You're turning into quite the delinquent, eh, Madoka?" Sayaka spoke teasingly, her hands now on the back of her neck. "How many days have you skipped school already, you naughty girl?"

First, there was silence.

Then there were rapid footsteps.

Finally, the bedroom door opened, revealing a Madoka with eyes red and wide and mouth gaping, still wearing PJs with her hair completely unkempt.

_She looks terrible… I can't believe I've caused her this much pain._

It felt like a whole minute until one of them finally said something.

"S-s… Sayaka-chan?!"

"H-hey, Mado—"

Sayaka couldn't even finish before she received the tightest hug she had ever gotten.

"Sayaka-chan… you're… you're alive?!" Madoka cried out, her eyes already watering. "Please tell me… this is real…"

"I'm here, Madoka. This is real alright," Sayaka replied softly, hugging her friend just as tightly as she gently caressed the girl's hair with affection. "At least I think it is."

_I don't really deserve this… but I can't let go. I just can't let go._

"B-but… Kyoko-chan and I tried to b-bring you back, and… Homura-chan said it d-didn't work…"

"It did, Madoka," Sayaka assured her as she closed her own eyes for a bit. "It took a while, but I heard your voices. I'm back, and I don't plan on leaving you again."

"S-sayaka-chan…" Madoka shed tears of happiness, moistening Sayaka's school uniform.

"It's okay… it's okay," Sayaka continued comforting her as much as she was comforting herself. Even she found herself crying a little.

"I—I thought you were…" Madoka whined in-between her sobs. "But… I'm so glad…"

The two stayed like this for at least a whole minute, relishing in their embrace until Sayaka eventually pulled back to look into Madoka's tearful eyes.

"I'm not… dreaming am I?" Madoka asked worriedly. Sayaka playfully pinched her cheek.

"See? You're not dreaming," she told her with a chuckle, and then proceeded to brush away a tear from the girl's face with her thumb. "Jeez, we're both such crybabies, aren't we?"

That got a little giggle out of the pinkette, which was exactly what Sayaka wanted to hear. On a more serious note, she then told her, "Madoka… I'm so sorry for all that I did. I hurt you. And not just as a witch."

"No, Sayaka-chan," Madoka protested, shaking her head. "You were right – if I... if I contracted with Kyubey, none of this—"

"No," Sayaka cut her off. "I was wrong to say what I did, Madoka. I was selfish, jealous and inconsiderate… I had no right to snap at you like that. And I regret it more than anything."

"B-but it's true!" Madoka exclaimed, her voice barely intelligible from the sobs. "If I had helped you, you wouldn't have had to go through all of this alone…"

"I wasn't alone, Madoka. At the time I thought I was, but you've always been there for me," Sayaka smiled softly at her. "I was just too angry at the world to realize it."

"Sayaka-chan…"

"It's obvious that Kyubey has a plan for you, Madoka. He desperately wants to turn you into a magical girl," Sayaka then added with her brows scrunched seriously. "No matter what I've said before – you _can't_ contract with him. I promised I'll protect you, Madoka, and I_ know_ that doing what he wants can only lead to more despair."

"H-how can you act like everything's the same?! You turned into a witch!" Madoka cried out, her gaze glistening. "You're... you're in so much more danger than I thought, Sayaka-chan… All of you…"

"Yeah… I have Kyoko to thank for consoling me, but I'm still a little terrified about learning that too," Sayaka said sadly, turning her head away for a second in thought. "There was always a sinister formula in place – the more good deeds you do, the more powerful the destructive power of the witch you leave behind will be. As if putting our whole beings into our Soul Gems wasn't cruel enough…"

After a brief pause, Sayaka then looked at Madoka again with a new, heartfelt smile on her face that was met with a very surprised expression on the pinkette's countenance.

**Decretum**

"But you, Madoka – you and Kyoko – you cheated that formula. I was brought back before I could do anything as a witch."

The magical girl let go of her friend, took a step towards one of the windows and opened the previously closed shutters, letting in some of the morning light into the bedroom. She briefly gazed at the clear sky whose vibrant blue color mirrored her eyes perfectly.

"True, being a magical girl is not as ideal of a job as I thought it'd be… but I don't want to think that there's nothing that we can do to make the most of the situation, either."

Turning back to face Madoka, who was now illuminated by the light like her, Sayaka continued.

"I was so hung up on my selfish thoughts that I fought myself as much as I fought the witches. Deep down, I thought I was no better than them, and eventually I _did_ become one of them. And what's worse, I was stubborn enough to refuse anyone's help. What happened is not your fault, nor is it even Kyoko's. Sure, having no innate talent for this kind of thing certainly sucked, and my luck may not have been particularly great, but ultimately it was I who walked down that path."

She then sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. After pulling out her blue Soul Gem from the pocket of her uniform, which seemed to shine more brightly than it ever did, Sayaka went on with renewed confidence and a sincere smile.

"But I won't make the same mistake. I know things aren't as simple as I believed them to be… I know things don't always go as you plan them to… but I also know that I can still do good with this power, even if I can't do it alone."

Walking up to Madoka once more while returning her Soul Gem back in her pocket, Sayaka took her friend's hands in her own and squeezed them tenderly.

"I won't throw away this opportunity you and Kyoko have given me. And I'll try not to be the biggest fool on the planet again," she said as she chuckled somewhat woefully, a little blush of embarrassment forming on her cheeks. "Together, the two of you managed to rescue me, and together we will continue facing any challenges from now on, including Walpurgis Night. We just can't let despair take over our lives."

_I wonder… is this what Mami-san would want? I don't want to disappoint her more than I already have. I can't know for sure, but… whether she thinks I deserve this second chance or not, I'm going to make the best of it._

"Sayaka-chan…" Madoka spoke, looking no less worried than she was before. "But what about me? I can help as well – you'll have a bigger chance with me on your side!"

"Jeez. And I thought I was stubborn," Sayaka laughed, then upon seeing Madoka's defiant stare, she sighed deeply_. I really was stupid. I have such a great friend – a friend I turned my back on._ "I may not like it, because you'd be in danger… but I want you to come with me again. We should face witches together like we always have. I promise that I'll continue trying my best to protect you, and I'm sure the others will too."

"Though… I still feel useless…" Madoka's face fell momentarily. "I can't get to fight like you do. Not unless I contract with Kyubey."

"You're the greatest help I could ask for, Madoka," her classmate refuted. "I still stand by what I said before. Without you, I'd be a lot more careless than I already am. You saw what happened to me after I left you."

"You really mean that, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asked hopefully. _Man, she can be so cute sometimes. But underneath it, she's really courageous, too._

"I do," Sayaka insisted, and the two embraced one another again, enjoying and savoring the comforting moment.

Both of them were unaware of a spying Junko standing at the end of the corridor leading to Madoka's room, whose raised brows could only show how perplexed she was.

"So no more crying, okay? I don't want to see any sad faces anymore," Sayaka chuckled as she brushed away some lingering tears in her own eyes. "We're back in action."

"Yeah," Madoka nodded happily as she let out another giggle. "And I want to stay by your side like before."

"Well… for starters, do you want to come with me to my apartment?" Sayaka inquired after the two pulled back from their hug. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I kind of haven't spoken to my parents yet since I… well, you know. They're probably worrying themselves to death. Unless you want to go to school, of course…"

"No," Madoka interjected assuredly. "I'll come with you, Sayaka-chan. I can't go after what happened today. I tried to yesterday, but I—I couldn't…"

"Thank you, Madoka," Sayaka smiled at her gleefully and then laughed once more. "I'm not normally one to advocate skipping school, but I admit I could use your company. That, and I haven't really had a change of clothes, don't really know what day of the week it is, my satchel's who knows where…"

Junko was not exactly sure what was going on, but a part of her wasn't even curious – she was simply overjoyed to see Madoka's face light up again. Whatever Sayaka-chan said to her – or maybe it was just her presence – it had obviously done wonders.

Perhaps she would go to work today, after all.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Sorry for the wait, I intended to publish this earlier - it shouldn't be that long until the next chapter, I promise! Could it be then that we finally get to see Kyubey's reaction to what's happened? Who knows!

Again, I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing - it's honestly encouraging and it means a lot to me. I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Agmen Clientum**

_Cut. Slash. Cut. Slash._

A vast web of chains destroyed one more group of carton cut-out stick figures. Poofing into smoke, they left yet another group in their wake. Several hits of the spear were enough to defeat them, however one of the countless floating lanterns' trajectory collided with the magical girl's body, making her lose her balance and cringe in a flash of pain.

"_Damn_… where did this witch come from?"

Kyoko now faced the enormous dry-topped tree atop the otherwise empty gray plain, and thinking on her feet – as she usually did – she immediately seized the opportunity to send a flurry of spears that she conjured up towards its trunk. The witch deflected it, however, as a mass of stick figures spawned right in front of the tree.

"They just won't quit!"

The girl briefly checked her Soul Gem while reacting just in time to dodge the next lantern. Its dim red light wasn't looking good, but she judged that it would still be able to handle a few more magic tricks she had up her sleeve.

"Sakura-san," Homura suddenly called out to her after her IMI Desert Eagle cleared the field of stick figures. "Take my hand."

The magical girl leaped close to Kyoko, who obliged the former's command.

"Time-stopping, are we?" Kyoko grinned, preparing herself to take advantage as she took on an offensive stance. "That'll even the odds!"

Just as expected, Homura's shield activated as soon as they joined hands, and everything in front of them stood still.

_Almost_ everything.

Right above the tallest branches of the tree, a pair of sinister yellow eyes suddenly appeared among the frozen gray landscape. A couple of seconds later and it could be clearly seen that the eyes belonged to a huge wolf the size of the tree itself.

"What the-?!" Kyoko exclaimed, and from the look on Homura's face, she hadn't expected it either.

The wolf wasted no time leaping at them, and after Kyoko managed to easily dodge its fierce attacks, it dawned on her what it was really after.

_Homura's shield._

"Watch out!" she yelled out at Homura while she transformed her spear into a chain once more, although it was too late.

The wolf's claws scratched Homura's time-stopping device in mid-air, which malfunctioned within a couple of seconds. With that, the wolf disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared and the floating lanterns continued rotating again.

"This witch can counter time-stopping," Homura spoke with clenched teeth. "I won't be able to use this for a while."

"Looks like we're doing this the old-fashioned way, then," Kyoko shouted, preparing her chain to strike at the lone tree in the middle of the witch's labyrinth. "Cover me!"

As Kyoko flew towards the tree, ready to strike a might blow with her fire-fuelled chain, she noticed in her peripheral vision that the numerous lanterns were being hit by speed-slowing bullets. However, the closer she got to the witch, the faster the lanterns orbiting it were, and she wasn't agile enough to dodge one of the very last ones protecting the tree. It broke her momentum, and she was forced to use the chain to lift herself up high above the ground to dodge yet another damaging hit.

"Crap… almost had her," Kyoko growled. She worriedly took another look at her Soul Gem whose red light was being diminished by the minute.

"Sakura-san!" Homura cried out in warning amid the explosions set off by her pipe bombs against the surrounding lanterns.

That was when Kyoko noticed them – a new wave of stick figures had spawned that were already way too close to her. She couldn't afford to strike them down, being in need of retreat due to the approaching lanterns that Homura hadn't managed to hit. In a sudden panic, she was just about to leap backward, only to notice that another group was waiting for her from behind.

The only sure way to dodge the attack was to use magic and transform her spear again and escape from above, but she seriously didn't want to risk corrupting her Soul Gem completely.

_Damn, what do I do?! Homura looks like she has her hands full already!_

_There's one trick I could use… A little bit of illusion magic… but… I still can't do that… ever since—_

Right that second, a dozen cutlasses flew right through the lanterns, cutting through the glass and striking several of the stick figures surrounding Kyoko, leaving nothing but smoke in their place. The precision of the strike was not the best, and one of the swords had nearly hit Kyoko herself, but they were enough to leave an opening for her.

_Don't tell me…_

"Kyoko! Go back!" Sayaka's yell echoed throughout the labyrinth.

"Sayaka?" Kyoko shouted incredulously, but nonetheless used the opportunity to escape the stick figures' attempts to encircle her position and flew right past a couple of lanterns.

And indeed, what she was flying towards in her retreat was none other than Sayaka, transformed in her blue magical girl outfit, with her cape blowing in the wind and a pair of cutlasses in her hands.

"Sayaka! What are you doing here?!" Kyoko asked her worriedly, her alarm at her tainting Soul Gel completely forgotten for the moment.

_She could barely move in the morning! Honestly, this girl needs a chill pill – if something happens to her again…_

Instead of replying, Sayaka dashed towards Homura's position, slicing through one of the lanterns that threatened to hit her classmate. Kyoko then noticed that Madoka was here herself, having had hidden from sight behind Sayaka before she ran to assist Homura.

"You too?" Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the pinkette, who had her hands clenched nervously.

"Thought you could use the help," Sayaka spoke after she and Homura dealt with the remaining enemies in the area – one with her gun and the other with her swords.

"Miki-san," Homura simply stated, still obviously in disbelief that she was there, and then followed Kyoko's gaze at Madoka as well – concern evident in her eyes. "Madoka…"

"Are you both okay? Homura-chan, Kyoko-chan…"

"They are now," Sayaka said with a grin, already eyeing the sinister-looking tree up and down with her cutlasses still drawn. "Don't everybody thank us at once."

"Wait! Don't go charging that thing by yourself!" Kyoko exclaimed, already running up to Sayaka's side with her hand clutching her chain-and-spear.

"I'm not, I'm not," Sayaka smiled reassuringly, winking at Kyoko as soon as the girl approached her. "I'm waiting for you guys, obviously."

"Miki-san, are you sure you can handle this fight?" Homura asked seriously, walking up to the girls as she reloaded her gun.

"With you watching my back, I can," Sayaka nodded, and then quickly looked at the Soul Gems of both magical girls. Of course, she couldn't help but notice the state of Kyoko's. "Kyoko… please be careful, okay?"

"I'll be fine, stupid," Kyoko said, her cheeks blushing a little as she put her hand over her Soul Gem. "You were the one who was bedridden in the morning, not me."

After they exchanged a nod between themselves, the three magical girls began a simultaneous attack, with Kyoko and Homura making sure the lanterns didn't reach Sayaka while she sliced through the newly spawned army of stick figures with her cutlasses.

_Well… she may make a habit of worrying me, but it's sure nice seeing Sayaka back in the action again. Still headstrong as always, and perhaps a little overconfident – but I've got her back._

_Heh… this will be the first time we truly fight side by side, isn't it?_

Though this was one of the strongest witches they had faced, and one that had appeared unexpectedly within the span of minutes with no Familiars to warn of her coming, it finally felt like they truly had the upper hand.

Homura's long-range firearms and bombs protected her from any of the lanterns getting too close while Kyoko's close and personal approach made sure that they never got far enough to reach Sayaka.

Everything seemed to go like clockwork until out of the blue, Sayaka's raised voice could be heard resonating throughout the labyrinth again. She was staring at the tree that was the cause of all this.

"Hey! Can you hear us?" she was saying with a look of relentlessness on her face, her progress halted for the time being. "Stop this – you were once a magical girl fighting witches as well! Remember who you were! Please, this _isn't_ you!"

_What the hell is she—_

"Stupid! It won't work!" Kyoko shouted angrily at the top of her lungs while fighting off the next wave of lanterns. "She doesn't know who we are! We won't be able to get through to her!"

"How can you be sure?" Sayaka yelled back at her. "What if we can rescue her like you did me?"

"What made _you_ remember who you were, Sayaka?! Was it just because you heard voices, or because you recognized them?!" Kyoko cried out, sparing a moment for her sharp, red eyes to glare at Sayaka until she continued attacking.

"Miki-san, finish her off!" Homura commanded as she gave Sayaka an authoritative look. "We do not have time for this!"

"Sayaka-chan, watch out!" Madoka's voice could be heard from the distance as well.

Kyoko knew she had to focus on fighting off the waves of lanterns that were otherwise about to hit her comrades, but she couldn't help but take a backward look just in time to see the reluctant acceptance in Sayaka's eyes before the she turned around to face the witch. However, the blue-haired warrior was hit by a group of leaping stick-figures that exploded all around her, resulting in a smokescreen that blinded Kyoko from seeing what had happened to her.

"Sayaka!" she shouted, getting ready to form a wall of chains that would momentarily hold back the lanterns and jump to Sayaka's position to save her. What she saw, however, made her stop her plan.

As the smokescreen cleared, it revealed something that was definitely not Sayaka – instead, an all-too-familiar witch stood in her place. The mermaid tail, the long blue cape and the sword in the machination's hand, it was all there – and seeing all that was like being reminded of a trauma one would bury deep inside.

_Oh, my god, Sayaka… No, no no no no no no no no… Did she turn back to—_

A few seconds later and Kyoko could see that Sayaka _was_ still there. The sight of her standing in front of her witch form, alive and well, calmed down her rapidly beating heart.

"This is the end!" Sayaka screamed, her body mimicking the movement that her witch form just behind her performed in tandem with her.

While manifested wheels accompanied by music notes formed a shield around Sayaka, a swing of her massive sword cut through the length of the tree, slicing it in half. A shadow of a wolf briefly appeared in the place of the tree before the labyrinth began to lose its opaqueness, slowly but surely disappearing. And with the labyrinth gone, Sayaka's witch vanished as well. All three magical girls panted, worn out from the fight.

**Signum Malum**

As expected, there was already a Grief Seed in the witch's place. It lied on the asphalt of a dead end street that was close to Mitakihara Middle School and not too far from Mami's apartment, which was where Kyoko and Homura had detected it earlier. The late afternoon sun was still shining above, its orange light touching the faces of the four girls that now stood there.

Sayaka crouched and picked up the Grief Seed, looking at it with an expression that even Kyoko couldn't quite decipher. Conflicted was the best way she could describe it.

"Everyone! Are you—are you all alright?" Madoka ran up to them, her large, round pink eyes darting from girl to girl.

"Miki-san, what were you doing?" Homura asked harshly. "This was a very powerful enemy. We could not afford errors of any kind – we are lucky you seem to have tamed your witch's power."

"Sayaka, I know what you wanted to do, but…" Kyoko walked up in front of her classmate with her hands on her hips, her tone scolding but at least less cold and more understanding. "Even if it somehow worked, what would we have done with the Soul Gem? We have no idea who she was or where her body is."

"You're right… I'm sorry," Sayaka shook her head after a moment, and then met Kyoko's gaze after she straightened up. "I guess I wanted to give it a try, at least. But… then I realized I was putting you all at risk, too."

"You do realize that if you do that during Walpurgis Night, you could ruin the whole mission?" Homura asked with her eyes sternly narrowing at her. "If you plan on doing that, then it might be best if you left things to just me and Sakura-san."

"Look – I didn't want to just give up on her, okay?" Sayaka snapped at the magical girl, brows furrowing in irritation. "I thought that— maybe—"

"You really thought it would be as easy as that?" Homura retorted, angered herself. "First you bring Madoka here, and then you endanger her – and us – even more?"

"Homura-chan, I—" Madoka tried chiming in before she was cut off.

"I already said I was sorry!" Sayaka spat back. "What more do you want me to say?"

"Will this be the last time you try something so foolish?"

Sayaka gritted her teeth. She looked like she was just about to say something in response, but then she remained silent as she eventually looked down at the ground uncertainly.

"Look, what she did was risky, but let's just calm down, alright? We should be glad we made it through," Kyoko suddenly spoke as she threw Homura a glance and walked up between her and Sayaka. "And let's not forget we'd probably be dead meat if she and Kaname hadn't come."

Homura didn't look any less mad with Sayaka, but at least it looked like she let the matter go for the time being. It was then that Sayaka raised her head, and after taking one last look at the Grief Seed in her palm, she reached out her hand and offered it to Kyoko.

"Here. You need this more than anyone right now," she said, glancing at the redhead's tainted oval crystal. In a moment, Kyoko nodded and gently grabbed it, although somewhat reluctantly. _I hope we'll be able to make a system like this work or we're screwed._

Sayaka then glanced in her pink-haired friend's direction, her features immediately softening. "You okay, Madoka?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Madoka beamed at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, Sayaka-chan…"

"Be on your guard, Madoka," Homura spoke up after she tested her shield's mechanism, which seemed to be functioning again. "Walpurgis Night is near and I do not know if we will run into other witches by then. And we still have not seen Kyubey."

Homura narrowed her eyes at Madoka and spoke with more emotion than she had shown to any of the rest before, "Again… I implore you. Do _not _contract with him, Madoka."

"Homura-chan…"

And with that, she was virtually gone, walking back to the other end of the street in her signature stoic gait. Madoka curiously watched her before she disappeared. Sayaka did as well – with visible suspicion.

"Honestly, that girl," Kyoko sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she did. "At least she actually helped us this time. She may be becoming more of a team player, but she's definitely not a people person quite yet."

_Heh. Look who's talking. Just a week ago, you were pretty much the same loner._

"Let's call it a day, huh?" Kyoko then suggested to Sayaka with a smile. "I doubt we'll see more action for now."

"Okay," Sayaka nodded after a moment of thought. "I'm feeling kind of beat anyway..."

* * *

**Author's Notes**: So here we have a little action before Walpurgis Night! Sorry for the wait (_again_), and the short length of the chapter - the next few ones will be compensating for that. As always, thank you to everybody who's been reading the story so far!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

** Clementia **

The sunset truly brought out the beauty of Mitakihara. The beautiful tall towers of the futuristic city almost reached the few clouds that dotted the otherwise clear sky. Its orange hue was reflected on their innumerable glass panels and it was very much worth taking a picture of.

Sayaka wished she had brought her photo camera.

The girl found herself sitting on a grass slope by the river which overlooked the path she would normally take to school every morning. She had transformed back from her magical girl outfit following the battle with the witch and was now wearing a casual blue T-shirt and denim jeans. Her shoulder-length hair lightly blew in the wind as her contemplative blue eyes fixated themselves on the river, deep in thought as she reflected on the events of the day.

_Old habits die hard, huh? Normally, I'd be fighting any of my enemies without a second thought, right? It used to be easy – the lives of innocents versus the evil witches threatening them._

_But now… it's complicated. The witches are victims, too. True, maybe some took the role of magical girl merely for their own ends, but I'd rather think that most genuinely wanted to help people… Like Mami-san. What Kyoko said was true – they may not remember who they used to be anymore, but… that doesn't make slaying them easy. After all… Madoka and Kyoko rescued _me_, didn't they?_

_ …I may not like it though, but maybe Kyoko was right. Yes, they brought me back, but… I can't simply go on expecting that we'll be able to save everyone else, too. That doesn't mean I'm never going to try, but… not at the expense of reason or at the cost of my friends' safety. Especially during Walpurgis Night. After all… I promised I'll no longer be the biggest fool on the planet..._

_ Kyoko really helped me out of a tight spot, didn't she? She's been really protective of me, too. I know she was angry earlier, but… I'm not going to throw my life away again. Or endanger hers. I owe her… well, pretty much everything._

A sigh escaped Sayaka's lips as she leaned back on the grass, propping herself up on her arms as she gazed at the sky for a little while. Even the sound of kids playing on the path nearby didn't manage to bring her out of her thoughts.

However, a couple of minutes or so later, the sound of several footsteps on freshly cut grass reached Sayaka's ears.

"Figured you'd be here for some reason," a very familiar, somewhat snarky voice coming from behind her abruptly snapped her back to reality.

_Speak of the devil…_

"Kyoko?" she asked in surprise as she turned her head around to look at the casually dressed redhead who, as always, had some food in her mouth – this time a popsicle.

"Don't tell me I have to cheer you up again," Kyoko sighed as she took a step forward and sat down next to Sayaka. "It's getting kind of tiring, y'know."

"No, don't worry – I'm fine," Sayaka gave Kyoko an earnest smile while she fixed the bangs of her blue hair a little. "I was just… ruminating, I guess."

"Heh. You and your fancy dictionary," Kyoko chortled with amusement. She rummaged in the pocket of her green hoodie until she pulled out a candy bar. "Want one?"

"Honestly, how have you never gotten caught all this time?" Sayaka asked with a sigh, but after a moment, she went ahead and took the stolen candy bar anyway.

"Who says I haven't?" Kyoko grinned at her friend, sharp red eyes twinkling mischievously as she took another bite from her ice cream. "And I don't steal everything! I could've bought this candy bar."

"Yeah, right. That's about as likely as Homura handing out lollipops," Sayaka gave Kyoko a teasing look while she unwrapped the candy bar.

She had expected Kyoko to laugh, but for one reason or another, the redhead pouted at her comment and looked away, brows furrowing. Sayaka's lips parted in surprise at the unexpected reaction.

_That's right… her past, her family… that was insensitive of me._

"Kyoko, I'm—"

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Sayaka,," Kyoko interrupted with a rather forced smile on her face, which soon changed into a smirk. "Either way, I _am_ glad that you've learned your lesson. I half-expected you to throw this into the river."

Though Kyoko's words had avoided the subject, the genuine look in the girl's eyes was reassuring. She obviously didn't want to talk about it now, so Sayaka decided to drop the subject... although, sooner or later, she wanted to speak more to Kyoko about what happened to her family.

"Well… I don't want to nearly get strangled again," Sayaka eventually replied with a teasing look as she took a bite.

"Heh, now _that_'s the rational line of thought," Kyoko chuckled approvingly, a little blush on her cheeks.

With that said, the two briefly stayed in comfortable silence, each of them finishing their respective snacks. Sayaka took furtive glances at the girl sitting next to her from time to time.

_Who would've guessed that I'd be eating candy bar and ice cream with Kyoko? I sure didn't expect that we'd go from a fight to the death to this… nor that she would drive herself so much to try and save me. _

"Hey, Sayaka… I know you said you were fine, but you _are_ okay, right?" Kyoko suddenly broke the stillness as she looked at Sayaka with that unusually concerned expression once more.

_Or that she would fuss over me like this._

"I understand how you must feel, having gone through all that crap that you did," she then continued, "And I'm not saying we shouldn't _ever_ try to save other witches either, but not when they're as powerful as that last one… and certainly not when it's not freakin' Walpurgis Night."

"Yeah, I know," Sayaka smiled at her as she turned her head in Kyoko's direction, nodding in affirmation. "We'll do better work in the long run if we don't take such risks. And I'm sorry… you could've died back there. I was really worried."

"Nah, don't worry about that. Water under the bridge," Kyoko grinned at her before the uncharacteristic blush on her face again reappeared. _Since when did Kyoko _blush_, anyway?_ "But you did make _me_ worry too, y'know! When I saw your witch back there, I… I panicked. I thought we lost you again."

"I'm sorry about that too," Sayaka said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I just… kind of did that on instinct. I didn't know I could do it."

"Well, it was pretty badass, I'll give you that," Kyoko spoke appraisingly, though she almost said it begrudgingly. Sayaka knew why. _She _is_ the badass one in the group, after all._ "At least you got a cool side effect from turning into a witch."

"I guess so," Sayaka replied with a small shrug. Given that she was the least talented, she needed all the help she could get.

A few seconds later and Sayaka's attention was caught by someone in her peripheral vision. The conversation she was having with Kyoko was immediately forgotten.

She saw _him_ and on instinct, she immediately turned her head back towards the path to school to look at him.

She had wondered if she would be able to see him too today.

_Kyousuke._ He looked much better than last time, obviously no longer in need of crunches. His gray eyes, slightly illuminated by the late afternoon sun, were full of life and mirth. Sayaka couldn't help but notice the soft, radiant smile he had on his face, which quickly proved to be infectious.

_He's so happy…_

Though Hitomi was already clinging to his arm right by his side, Sayaka only really noticed her a second later. The two were now laughing in response to something he just said and the looks they exchanged were as affectionate as they could get. They were obviously in love.

Sayaka's heart hurt a little.

_I expected this, of course. I want them both to be happy together, but… I still can't help thinking – what would it be like, what it would feel like… to be in Hitomi's place right now? I thought I'd be over him by now, but… I can't help but wonder._

"Is that him?" Kyoko's voice broke Sayaka out of her thoughts. She looked at the redhead and noticed the somewhat disillusioned look she had in her face. "That's why you came here… right, Sayaka?"

"Kyousuke," Sayaka responded, looking back at the silver-haired boy with a flickering gaze. _Of course she'd notice – there's no point in hiding it..._

"Honestly, are you still head over heels for that guy?" Kyoko said somewhat harshly as she followed Sayaka's gaze and narrowed her eyes at him. "He doesn't look special to me."

"He's one of the kindest, gentlest people I know," Sayaka defended him at once. "And I love his music – he's such a talented violinist…"

"Hmph," Kyoko huffed, somehow managing to take out _another_ candy bar from the pockets of her hoodie as she started hastily chewing on it. "For someone so kind, he was pretty quick to forget about you and hook up with another girl days after he returned to school."

"It was my fault," Sayaka shook her head at her, and then quickly looked back at Kyousuke before he and Hitomi finally disappeared from sight. "She gave me a day to confess, but I—I couldn't…"

_If he was still single, would I… would I confess to him now? Not only am I still a mere Soul Gem, but I'm one that can turn into a witch, too… _

…_Well, now, after having time to internalize it all… I don't know. Maybe I would've, but… it doesn't really matter. Back then – if I had simply told him what I was, given him time to think, given him a say…_ _Who knows…_

_However, I don't regret my wish. I couldn't stand seeing Kyousuke in pain anymore. His well-being is more important to me than wanting to be with him. That's what I couldn't realize before – instead I berated myself for even feeling a hint of jealousy._

"You're too good for him anyway," Kyoko suddenly blurted out as she turned her head away from her, and as Sayaka noticed, she did so with her cheeks visibly red again. "I mean, how can a guy be so dense?! You did everything for him, you visited him in the hospital countless times, gave him a ton of CDs, and he still doesn't get the freakin' picture. Honestly…"

Sayaka looked at the girl with her brows raised curiously, her face a little rosy as well.

_Since when does Kyoko know so much about me? Why does she care so much? And why is she stuffing herself with that candy bar so suspiciously?_

…_Now is probably the time to ask her. I remember what she said to me too – back when I was a witch. I didn't at first, but now I do. I guess it was what helped me muster up the will to get back, but even after thinking on it, I don't know what to make of it, not yet…_

_Jeez, no matter how hard I try, I can never figure out my thoughts and feelings completely, can I?_

**Inevitabilis **

"Kyoko," Sayaka eventually called the redhead's name after giving it some more thought, and after their eyes met, she said bluntly, "I've been meaning to ask you something… Don't take this the wrong way, but—but why did you make all that effort to save me? And why are you so nice to me now? We barely knew each other and… we certainly didn't see eye to eye before."

Kyoko blinked at her a few times in response and threw away the wrapper of her candy bar unceremoniously. Her expression pretty much gave it away that she didn't know how to answer the question nor had she expected it. She shifted her feet on the grass nervously.

"Stupid," she only mumbled under her breath at first, looking away from Sayaka. "Can't a girl just do the right thing without getting scrutinized?"

Probably because she saw the insistent look on Sayaka's face, Kyoko gave in, sighing deeply. She anxiously played around with a strand of her long, red hair before she finally spoke up.

"Well, I just… You're not the only one regretting something, Sayaka. And I'm not talking about the wishes. I knew what you believed in was way too sunshine and bunnies for me, but at the same time… I couldn't stand seeing your optimism die like that – that very same optimism I used to have back before my wish crumbled in front of me."

Kyoko glanced at Sayaka out of the corner of her eye for a few seconds before she stood up, and with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, she took a few steps forward and gazed at the setting sun between the skyscrapers of Mitakihara.

"Heh, you were so stubborn. Even after what I told you about my father, you still believed in doing good with your power. I was angry at first. I was sure that I was in the right, but after you walked away, you made me doubt that. I eventually realized that you didn't want to resign to the kind of life I had chosen to lead – not caring for anybody or anything and only trying to survive."

After another sigh, Kyoko – who remained uncharacteristically nervous – eventually looked back at Sayaka, even if it was out of the corner of her eye again.

"And then I realized, especially after I saw what was happening to you… that I wasn't even leading that kind of life anymore, nor did I want to. I actually cared for somebody again," she spoke before turning her head towards the sun again, her foot kicking a few fallen leaves of a nearby tree. "Heh, I don't know… Lots of things happened in the few days we knew each other, right? I guess you still reminded me a lot of myself. I tried to make you see my way, and… well, that didn't lead to anything good… and I regret that. A lot."

Sayaka looked at her, wide-eyed, as a brief moment of silence fell upon them. A few seconds later and Kyoko finally turned back around and faced her kohai as a gust of wind lightly blew her hair.

"That's why I made all that effort, Sayaka. I wanted to see you fight for a cause again – for _something_. And if I couldn't bring you back – if there was truly no hope left, then—then… maybe I had enough of this place."

"Kyoko…" Sayaka could only utter, finding herself speechless and unsure as to what to say.

_She really has changed. And… she really does care, doesn't she? I didn't have any idea that I had affected her so strongly… Of course, I was mostly concerned with trying to prove something to myself back then to really notice anything, but…_

_Hearing her say all this – I can't help it, it makes me happy. I'm still hurting from seeing Kyousuke and Hitomi together… but this — this is helping._

"Heh. Look at you, making me all sappy and emotional," Kyoko let out a small laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Seriously, I'm supposed to be the cool, sarcastic type. You're ruining my image here!"

"No… I think that blush suits you," Sayaka eventually spoke up with a light, teasing smirk forming on her lips. "Goes well with your hair."

"I—I don't blush, stupid," Kyoko lied quite blatantly as she folded her arms, her eyes looking at a suddenly intriguing tree on her left. "And that's all you have to say after I pour my freakin' heart out?!"

"Sorry," Sayaka giggled mirthfully. "You shouldn't be embarrassed. It looks cute."

"Cute?!" Kyoko repeated indignantly, getting redder and redder by the second. "I'm not cute. Maybe badass, awesome, sexy – but _not_ cute."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Sayaka insisted, sticking her tongue out at the redhead.

While this playful teasing was way too enjoyable to stop, it wasn't long before Sayaka's features took on an earnest expression once more. She had something she wanted to say, too.

"But seriously, Kyoko… You shouldn't feel guilty about what happened to me. It was I who refused anyone's help. You and Madoka are the reason I'm here. What you did – everything that you risked for me – is something I'll always be grateful to you for."

Standing up, Sayaka then took a step towards her friend.

"You gave me back the hope I lost. You made me sane again. I can actually continue fighting without trying to prove anything to myself, but so I can save lives... and protect you and the others."

_When I think about it, I rely on Kyoko more than I thought I did… It's kind of scary how I got here from labelling her as a sworn enemy of mine._

"So… I guess that we both help each other out in this weird way," Sayaka ran a hand through her blue hair with a chuckle, somewhat shyly. The color of her cheeks now mirrored Kyoko's. "And… I know I'll probably be totally lost without you."

"Sayaka…" Kyoko spoke, her mouth slightly open as she kept her flickering gaze on the younger girl.

The two stared at one another as the sun behind them completely hid itself behind the base of the urban cityscape. Just like the wind, it was as if time suddenly stopped for both.

When the silence was finally broken, however, it wasn't by either of them.

**Umbra Nigra **

"Sayaka Miki," a very, _very_ familiar voice snapped them both of their circulating thoughts and feelings and made the two look at its source in sudden panic. "You should not be able to think that you are lost. You should not even be here."

"Kyubey!" Sayaka and Kyoko exclaimed in unison. The small white furry creature had appeared atop a branch of a nearby tree.

"As with all magical girls, you turned into a witch. You now know that this is what follows. Over time, your Soul Gem was corrupted completely because you refused to purify it. Then, you were defeated. You should have dropped a Grief Seed," Kyubey continued, his emotionless catlike eyes even brighter than usual – as if questioningly staring into the soul of Sayaka. "The formula should have worked. It is completely illogical that you are even here."

"Seems like your "formula" is a little faulty, then," Kyoko grinned smugly at Kyubey after she got over the surprise from seeing him, revealing her sharp canine tooth threateningly.

"Where have you been, Kyubey?" Sayaka narrowed her eyes warily at the creature as she frowned.

"I spoke to members of my race. We tried to make sense of what had occurred and we cautiously observed you," Kyubey immediately responded, ever with an unmoving, frozen smile on his mouth that steadily became creepier and creepier. "We did not even collect any energy from your transformation. We attributed it to an anomaly: a malfunction of your Soul Gem."

"I _did _suspect you didn't know everything, Kyubey," Kyoko smirked complacently. "Admit it. There is no "malfunction". You lost at your little game."

"I would advise you do not use its magic, Sayaka Miki. It is unknown what the consequences of that would be," Kyubey warned, ignoring the redhead.

"I battled today just fine as a matter of fact," Sayaka frowned at him, folding her arms.

"That will not necessarily be the case in the future," Kyubey merely replied. "What happened is irrelevant in the long-term. It is logically impossible to live through Walpurgis Night unless Madoka Kaname or another magical girl of equal potential makes a contract."

"No," Sayaka spoke emotionally, furrowing her brows and clenching her teeth. "Leave Madoka out of this. Whatever it is you plan with her – I won't let you do it."

"Walpurgis Night is systemic part of a recurring event that maintains the energy-gathering cycle so we can combat Entropy," Kyubey continued unperturbed as if Sayaka hadn't said anything. It was starting to feel more like a monologue than an actual conversation. "To defeat the witch at the end of each full cycle conventionally – in your case, Walpurgis Night – is infeasible. The power of a wish, a contract, has always been required thus far. I doubt that this cycle will be an exception."

"Well, isn't that swell?" Kyoko snidely commented. If she was frightened by what Kyubey was saying, she didn't show it. "Seems like you and your _friends _couldn't come up with any explanation for what happened, eh?"

"So, Sayaka Miki – are you really going to risk Madoka's life so carelessly?" Kyubey then proceeded to ask, ignoring Kyoko again. Sayaka could've sworn that the red color in his eyes intensified. "Or will you let her wish be fulfilled so she can become a magical girl, surely saving you from Walpurgis Night for the time being?"

"I get the feeling you ain't telling us about at least ten little caveats," Kyoko shook her head. "So you'll excuse me for not sounding particularly thrilled."

"I have never lied, Kyoko Sakura," Kyubey finally acknowledged the redhead's presence. He turned his head to look at her. "It is you who did not ask any questions if I remember correctly."

Kyubey jumped down from the tree branch with ease and looked up towards the two girls from the ground, specifically at Kyoko.

"And you should not doubt the fact that the witch at the end of each cycle has never been defeated through normal means before. This been going on for longer than you can grasp. Combining the strength of you two and Akemi Homura and hoping to win is simply statistically impossible."

Kyoko glared at the alien animal. For the first time since he had appeared, she looked genuinely frustrated and at loss for words.

_Until…_

"Then… this will be the first time," Sayaka finally spoke up again with optimism in her bluish eyes, which almost shined in the darkness of the night that had fallen. "We will not let the outcome of this battle be swayed by a machinelike intelligence and cold calculus."

She turned her head towards Kyoko, looking for her support. Her senpai saw that in her eyes and nodded in agreement, the glance the two of them shared being enough to convey that they were on the same page.

"I believe that what you are saying is true," Sayaka then continued with strong conviction, no longer seeming angry so much as defiant. "But that will not deter me. I was not brought back by Kyoko and Madoka to fall into despair again. Becoming a magical girl can't possibly be good for Madoka – or any of us – in the long run."

The blue-haired girl took out her radiant Soul Gem from her pocket and gave Kyoko a smile.

"We will fight this battle… on our terms."

"If you were hopin' to get us to cry in a corner, Kyubey, we're sorry to disappoint," Kyoko then spoke as she mimicked Sayaka's smile, revealing her own Soul Gem, which was purified and just as bright as Sayaka's. "We'll have each other's backs and battle side by side – all of us. It may be a little crazy, but we'll be fighting for a good ending to this story, not settle for anything half-assed like this."

Kyubey only blinked in response, but did not display any emotion. It looked like he was processing information.

"Human behavior is sometimes so irrational and difficult to understand," he merely said, turning around and walking away. He tilted his head back to look at them one more time, adding, "You should realize that if you fail, Walpurgis Night will grow even further in strength and be that much more devastating. Eventually, we will no longer gain any energy for fighting Entropy, and Earth will be a wasteland. Are you going to make this choice for all of humanity?"

The two girls glanced at each other again, and after a brief moment of thought and one shared nod, they seemed to come to an understanding once more.

"Then… we'll be a little selfish and give it our best anyway," Sayaka said as she smirked.

"Yeah. Neither of us really _did_ wish anything for ourselves," Kyoko added with a grin of her own.

A blink of a pair of small, catlike eyes was the only response that they got.

"Ultimately, it is Madoka's decision. No one else can decide any magical girl's wish but the magical girl herself."

It was then, after saying those words, that he teleported away and disappeared from sight.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: So finally Kyubey makes an appearance and certainly has something to say! Is he wrong, though? I guess we'll find out soon enough!

Thanks for reading and reviewing! This has definitely been one of the most fun chapters to write so far.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Puella in Somnio **

A girl with long black hair was sitting on one of the benches in her room in her residence, her sharp purple eyes staring at nowhere in particular. Sterile white walls surrounded her as the shadow of the pendulum above her head rocked from side to side. Holographic images referencing the imminent Walpurgis Night were one of the few things in this room that gave it any sort of color, apart from herself.

She was deep in thought.

For a very large chunk of her life – what felt like eternity at this point – Homura had dedicated herself to finding the most optimal solution for the month that she kept reliving over and over again. As a result, although her body was that of a 14-year-old teenager, she felt like she was thirty by now. In actuality, she was probably somewhere closer to being twenty years old. Given how many times she repeated this time period, simple calculations put her at 22.

Every single timeline, Homura would try her best to fulfill her promise to Madoka that she made so long ago. It was her safety, happiness and well-being that always mattered the most. Though once again she hadn't managed to prevent her from making contact with Kyubey, Homura still did what she could with the situation.

And as expected, several events occurred again. Mami Tomoe died in an early fight with a witch. Sayaka Miki became a magical girl just in time to save Madoka. She then confronted Kyoko Sakura and fought with her. Madoka threw her Soul Gem on the ground. Eventually, she became a witch, and soon after Kyoko Sakura tried her best to save her.

However, never before had she actually succeeded.

This raised many questions.

Was this merely chance, or an actual distortion – an anomaly in space-time continuum? Was this a side-effect of her time-travelling abilities?...

More importantly, was she wrong to neglect the importance of other magical girls before, and in so doing, only made it more difficult for her to face Walpurgis Night? Was she wrong to trust only herself and rely on nobody else? Was this why she could never reach a conclusion that satisfied her and, at the same time, fulfilled the promise she made to Madoka?

…And was this all related to her wavering force of will?

_Madoka… After all this time – after so many times that I tried to save you… I can't believe I was starting to think I never could. I was about to give up despite the promise I made to you that I never wouldn't. I began to believe that no matter how hard I try, I can never change fate. I'm… so sorry._

Homura's usual cold, stoic mask that she had worn for what felt like the majority of her life fell and her eyes began to water a little. Her hand slowly wiped away the tears that had started to form and she sighed.

_I experienced all these events over and over again. The tragedies along the way have burned themselves into my brain so much that I became completely desensitized to the suffering of other magical girls. I even believed their sacrifices to be necessary to convince you to never become a magical girl yourself._

_However… this timeline is different, isn't it? It has given me a rare opportunity – a opportunity I realize would be stupid of me to pass up on. Something that I may not have realized to be the key to ending this._

_Maybe, just maybe… I will manage to stop Walpurgis Night with Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura on my side, and protect you, Madoka. I just want all of this to be finally over… for everyone. I want all of this effort to be worth it._

_I may have forgotten what normal life feels like, but when I see others lead it without a care in the world, I become jealous. I'd give everything to remind myself of that feeling – but that can never happen without you being there, too._

_So I promise – I'll give it my best… I swear to you. Even if you can't comprehend the extent of my feelings, I will still do everything I can. And even if I fail again, I will try again like I always have._

Homura's resolve that night was strengthened, reinvigorated. The look of willpower about her at that moment was not a mask. It was her real self, ready to face any obstacle and deal with any challenge to finally accomplish her mission.

She was ready.

"Akemi Homura," a monotonous, but somewhat high-pitched voice suddenly resounded throughout the empty white room. "Your time-travelling abilities have certainly led to unforeseen consequences."

The girl looked at the newly teleported creature opposite her with mild annoyance.

_So he finally decided to show his face._

"Do you regret giving them to me?" she asked him with little more emotion than what Kyubey displayed himself.

"Regret is the desire to rectify an error, correct?" Kyubey responded as he waved his tail around. "You are a magical girl. As with everyone, you had a wish that you wanted fulfilled when you became one. The system that has been put in place does not discriminate. There is no error."

His red eyes stared unflinchingly at her. She would've found it unnerving if she wasn't used to it by now.

"Your time-travelling may have had something to do with Sayaka Miki transforming back from a witch, though I have no concrete evidence for that yet," Kyubey then said. "More importantly, I have reason to believe that your time-travelling has made Madoka Kaname an extremely desirable candidate for a magical girl. Thanks to you, she has become a dormant force of massive proportions just waiting to be released."

Homura narrowed her eyes at him in a scowl, brows furrowing.

"When she contracts and eventually transform into a witch, we will gain a very large amount of energy to combat Entropy," Kyubey continued ever so emotionlessly with his perpetual smile visible on his small face. "Her role in fate has consistently changed because of how much of a focus she is in your time-travelling. Perhaps it is for similar reasons that Kyoko Sakura has made Sayaka Miki into such a wildly fluctuating value because of her continuous fixation on her."

Kyubey tilted his head as the young time traveler stood up from her seat and fixed a strand of her hair.

"Madoka won't be contracting with you," she spoke matter-of-factly.

"Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura confused me with their reasoning," Kyubey retorted. "But you, Akemi Homura, have attempted fighting Walpurgis Night multiple times, and failed. It is even more confusing that you insist her power will not be required."

"Why bother making sense of it, anyway?" Homura asked him coldly, throwing him a swift glance. "You're sure we're walking to our deaths, right?"

"Understanding human behavior is crucial if we are to continue obtaining energy from this world," Kyubey promptly answered her question. "We are compelled to analyze every situation and every new generation of magical girls."

Homura quietly huffed as she turned around and began walking away from him. There was no worry or fear in her slow gait. Before she closed the door to her room behind her, she looked at Kyubey one more time.

"We'll give you something to analyze, then."

* * *

** Amicae Carae Meae **

A restless, petite pink-haired girl sat on the table of her house's kitchen in the middle of the night. The dark room was illuminated by a faint, dim light that came from one of the lamps on the counter. The young middleschooler occasionally drank from the juice that she had in front of her on the table, though her mind was somewhere else entirely.

The last few days were emotionally taxing for Madoka. It had all started with the arrival of a new transfer student one day, a nightmare, and from then onwards, a torrent of all kinds of feelings had completely engulfed her. She had experienced her strongest despair yet, but also felt the most blissful joy – and that was all within the span of a few days. From the wonder, fear and awe of her new classmate Homura-chan and the sheer grief over Sayaka-chan's apparent death to the rejoicing when she found out that her friend was back – she felt it all.

And of course, her confusion as to what her role in all of this was, which was strongly linked to her helplessness and her seeming cowardice that were still eating away at her.

She was the only one who knew what went behind the scenes in Mitakihara and at the same time was _not_ one of the people protecting it. Supposedly she had innate talent in her, yet she did not choose to make use of it to protect Sayaka-chan before she fell into hopelessness, nor did she save Mami-san when she could have.

And even everything that happened afterward, she was still scared of going through with it. She had been unable to contract with Kyubey, fearing the consequences. Both Sayaka-chan and Homura-chan insisted that she stay the way she was, but did she truly help in any way?

_Why can't I be brave like them?... Why can't I be like Mami-san?_

_Am I even worthy of their friendship?_

_Sayaka-chan's words to me that night still linger in my mind… She reassured me that this was not what she wanted to say, but even if she had spoken to me out of anger, wasn't she… right?_

"_You should fight, then," she had said._

_What about what she said to me when she was brought back? Did she mean it? Am I really helping her being the way I am? Just standing on the sidelines and offering my moral support?_

_And Homura-chan, with the way she looks and talks to me – that confuses me even more. I wonder why she'd do anything to prevent me from contracting with Kyubey? If it's because she cares about me, then I wonder why she feels this passionately about it?_

The sound of echoing footsteps interrupted Madoka's introspection, making her curiously look at their source.

It was her mother, who was approaching her with a smile on her face. She was wearing a purple bathrobe and a towel on her head, obviously haven gotten out of the shower just minutes ago. She looked a little restless herself.

"Madoka," she told her daughter, "I'm happy to see you out of your bedroom more often, but it's two o'clock in the morning. You have trouble sleeping again?"

"Yeah," Madoka replied a little glumly.

"You have a knack for making me worried these days, don't you?" Junko chuckled, though she did not say the words in a reproachful manner. She kissed Madoka on her forehead affectionately and sat down on the chair next to her. "Do you feel like talking to me now? I can offer you my great wisdom."

If her mother sought to make Madoka smile, she succeeded.

"It's… complicated," the pinkette replied while rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not sure where to start."

_I have such a great and understanding mom... It makes me sad that I can't really share everything that's been going on with me. I doubt I'll ever can, but… I really need someone to talk to right now._

"How about starting with the friend who came to see you – Sayaka-chan? She was the one you had a falling out with before, right?" Junko decided to ask delicately anyway, curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Yeah," Madoka nodded, trying her best not to recall what that "falling out" had led to in perfect detail. "We're okay now. We're probably closer than we ever have been, and I'm very happy about that."

"My advice helped, then?" Junko grinned light-heartedly, though of course her concern for her daughter was more than obvious. "I could see how much better you were feeling after she came to visit you."

"I was, yeah," Madoka smiled before averting her gaze towards the window of the room, her expression wistful. _I don't really know how to say this to her_. "It's just that… I want to help her with something, but… I can't, and I don't feel like I'm not being a good friend to her. She insists that I'm helping anyway, but I… don't believe I'm actually doing anything useful."

"What's with all the secrecy? You're making it pretty difficult to help," Junko proceeded to ask teasingly, though behind her joking demeanor, Madoka could see that the question was nonetheless serious. She had to wonder just what Junko was suspecting at this point.

"I'm really sorry, I…" Madoka began, still visibly struggling with her words. After a long and deep sigh, slowly mustering up courage, she faced her mother again when she asked, "Do you trust me that nothing wrong is going on, even if I can't tell you about it?"

Junko stared at her with an expression that Madoka couldn't quite read, probably contemplating what she had just said. A few moments passed before she eventually replied.

"You've always been a good kid, Madoka. I can't say that I don't want to know more, but I trust you, and I want to help you."

"Thank you, mom," Madoka beamed at her happily while her mother chuckled once more.

"You sound like you're fussing over doing the right thing yourself this time," Junko observed, intertwining the fingers of her hands on the table before she continued. "But some things aren't as simple as doing the right or wrong thing. You feel guilty for not helping Sayaka-chan with whatever is going on, but that doesn't mean she isn't benefitting from you being her friend in some way."

Madoka intently listened to her mother as she spoke, the certainty of her words empowered by years of experience.

"Haven't you ever gained confidence because you could see your friend was supporting you in times of need, even if they're not doing the actual work for you?" Junko said to her softly as she smiled, leaning back on her chair. "Not all battles are fought on the front lines."

With a few blinks of her eyes, Madoka looked downward in thought as she took in what her mother just told her. Strangely, what she said did apply to what her current dilemma was, and though a part of her was still not satisfied, she couldn't help but begin to feel some relief. By putting herself in the shoes of any of her friends, had the roles been reversed, she realized that what her mother was telling her was right.

"I guess that's true," Madoka conceded with a smile, which was immediately reflected on Junko's own face.

"Well, of course it is," the woman grinned. "I'm telling you – you can't go wrong confiding in your mother more every now and again."

Immediately after feeling the urge to, Madoka went ahead and walked up to Junko and hugged her tightly as she closed her eyes. The business lady hadn't expected it at first, but she was quick to act as she tenderly wrapped her hands around her daughter.

_Mom… I hope everything will be okay after tomorrow. I hope we can protect you. And I want to come back and see you after everything's over._

* * *

**Conturbatio **

Three mirrors showed a blue-haired girl's image as she stared at her reflection with a purposeful air about her. There was a reborn spark in her round, bluish eyes, yet one that conveyed something different about her than it used to. It was in the living room of her residence that she found herself in, and the full moon could be seen shining brightly in one of the adjacent windows.

Once upon a time, Sayaka used to look at herself in these mirrors, and what she thought she saw was someone who had it all figured out. Naïve, but passionate about her beliefs, that someone was rarely wrong about anything. Idealistic about the state of the world, she had faith that justice would always prevail.

And though the face of that person changed, one thing remained the same – her drive to fight for something. If anything, she was even more motivated to keep going now than she ever was before. She had been in danger of losing that quality about her, but it was her friends who helped her reclaim it. Perhaps the world would sometimes throw everything it had at her, but she was not going to let herself face it alone anymore. If she had to admit it, she was still a little too idealistic for her own good.

However, she now knew better than to slap labels on people. There was more to a person than intrinsic good and evil. And she was quite the example of that.

Mami-san had warned her that day. She could still recall her words perfectly.

"_Miki-san, do you want his wish to come true, or do you just want to be the person who made his wish come true – a person to which he'd be indebted?"_

The answer, as she came to understand, was quite complicated. She obviously had feelings for Kyousuke and wanted to be with him, hoping that what she did would bring them closer together. However, that did not mean that her wish to heal his hand so he could play music again was completely and irrevocably selfish. Her happiest moment _had_ been the moment Kyousuke began playing his music on the rooftop that day.

_I was so stupid. I still can't believe I let this snowball into what it did._

_I'm still angry at myself for a lot of things… for snapping at Madoka, for turning away my friends, for hurting their feelings, for harming them… _

_And if I have to be honest, I wish I hadn't felt what I did for Kyousuke. It would've been much easier if I only wanted his health to get better… but I suppose I wouldn't have learned anything if that happened, would I?_

_I've been given this second chance and I won't waste it. I will try to do what I can to protect those I care about. I'll be stronger this time._

Her cheeks suddenly flushed at her thoughts.

_Jeez, you should hear yourself. So serious all the time – in some ways, you sound like you haven't changed at all. I'm kind of like that, aren't I? Maybe I should take a leaf out of Kyoko's book and try to chill some more._

With a sigh, she took several slow steps towards her bed and let herself fall on her back onto the soft mattress. Her eyes stared at the ceiling.

_Well, Walpurgis Night is upon us. I shouldn't be surprised that I'm getting all philosophical. I guess a part of me wants to come to terms with myself if we happen to fail… which we won't. I have Madoka and Kyoko with me, and Homura will be helping out too. There's no way such a team can lose!_

_Madoka... I want to go to school with you again. I want us to do homework together. I want us to walk around the city – not as witch-hunters, but as friends, and have fun. Let us be carefree again. I hope we can do this soon. Coming out victorious tomorrow wouldn't mean nearly as much without you._

_And Kyoko… the time we spent together today… I want more of that. This is still kind of bizarre given how we met, but I want to keep seeing you. And not just on patrol for witches, either. And I want to see your hope fulfilled. I want us to win so you can start finding more things in your life to enjoy and heal the wounds you carry._

With a little chuckle, Sayaka realized that her excitement for tomorrow was surely going to make it difficult for her to sleep soundly. She had to do her best, though – she would need as much energy as she could get.

Just then, the blunette was startled to hear that her phone was actually ringing. What surprised her more than the fact that she was receiving a call at such a late hour was the fact that she managed to hear it over the sound of her sentimental thoughts, which were even sappier than usual for her.

_Well, at least I'm not crying again, I guess. There's been some progress._

When she neared her desk, Sayaka saw the caller ID, which was none other than Hitomi's. A picture that she had taken of her at least a year ago was being displayed on her mobile phone.

_Hitomi… It's not like you to be even awake so late. I wonder…_

"Hello, Hitomi?" Sayaka answered the call.

"Sayaka-san?" Hitomi's anxious voice responded on the other end. "I apologize for calling so late, but…"

"Ah, it's okay, don't worry about it," Sayaka assured, waving her hand dismissively at no one in particular. "I wasn't sleeping. Damned full moon won't let me."

She was obviously coming off a little awkward given how their last talk went.

"I know that we are not on the best terms, but I was worried," Hitomi continued. "You have not come to school in several days, and now Madoka-san too…"

"Oh, that," Sayaka replied nervously. Thinking on her feet, she explained, "Well, I'm still feeling sort of sick, and Madoka came to check up on me, and I guess she caught my cold…"

_I may still feel jealous of her a little, but man, I also feel bad for how much we've had to lie her recently._

"Oh… I see. I am sorry to hear that," Hitomi replied, ever so formal even with her friends. "I hope you get better soon."

"Thanks… me too," Sayaka answered, turning her head to look out the window.

The line was silent for a bit before Hitomi spoke up again.

"And… I wanted to talk to you about Kamijou-kun. I understand if you are mad at me—"

"It's okay, Hitomi," Sayaka cut her off, expecting that this was coming sooner or later. She exhaled deeply and, taking the silence as an invitation to go on, she continued, "Look, I'm sorry I wasn't straight with you before. I did have feelings for Kyousuke. You gave me a day to confess and I didn't. It's me who should apologize for being distant with you."

Though she doubted she'd ever be over the violinist completely, Sayaka felt that the words coming out of her mouth were sincere.

"I was hurt, but… I know you'll make him happy, Hitomi. You deserve someone like him. I should've acted sooner."

"Sayaka-san, why did you not confess, then?" Hitomi asked her seriously. "You have known each other for a lot longer. I have little reason to believe that he would not have said yes."

The blue-haired warrior found herself looking at the shining blue Soul Gem on her desk wistfully.

_I said I was a zombie… but the pain in my heart was very real. The joy when I held Madoka in my arms again was real, too. I could still sense the warm touch of another's hand. And I would've probably felt Kyousuke's kiss on my lips, too._

_I may not be a normal human being anymore, and I may be dependent upon my Soul Gem… but to deprive myself of romance entirely is too much for me to bear. Apart from needing my friends, I want to feel love sometime in my life if I survive tomorrow. It may be selfish, but… I want someone who is willing to make this sacrifice for me…_

_At the time, though, I was not quite tolerant of such thoughts._

"Sayaka-san?"

"Oh, well," Sayaka was snapped back to reality. Though she could not tell the entire truth, she could still be sincere with Hitomi on this. "It was a mistake. I was too afraid of rejection like I have been for a long time before that. But the past is in the past, so..."

"Do you still have feelings for Kamijou-kun?" Hitomi asked her – though not with a confrontational tone in her voice. Rather, she seemed worried about her friend.

"Well, yes," Sayaka replied in admission. She could not bring herself to lie to her about this. "But I'm moving on, Hitomi. It doesn't hurt nearly as much anymore, so you don't need to worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sayaka nodded to herself in reaffirmation. "I'm happy for you guys. And I hope we can still hang out together – if that's okay with you, of course."

"Of course it is," Hitomi insisted, sounding very relieved. Sayaka could feel her smiling on the other end. "And… thank you for your kind words earlier. I hope I can be worthy of Kamijou-kun."

"I can't imagine anyone better for him, Hitomi," Sayaka spoke genuinely. "You'll take care of him, won't you?"

"I will, Sayaka-san, and thank you again," Hitomi replied cheerfully.

Sayaka was surprised at the ease with which she said those words to her. Indeed, if there was someone else that she wanted Kyousuke to be with instead of her, it had to be Hitomi. They were a good match. Getting that out of her chest did even more than that – it made her feel somewhat lighter too; a whole burden on her shoulders was suddenly gone.

_Kyousuke… Yes, I still want to hear his beautiful music, and I still want to see his dream come true… which is why I will be fighting for him tomorrow, too. I can't lie to myself. He will always hold a special place in my heart, as will his music… but I will move on._

"Well, Sayaka-san, I hope I will see you at school soon!"

"You will," Sayaka replied confidently, and then all of a sudden remembered with a little embarrassment, "Oh, and I don't suppose you can prepare your notes from last week to give to me? I've kind of fallen behind, so... "

"Oh, sure, that would be no problem!" Hitomi immediately agreed.

"Thanks, Hitomi. I promise I'm not becoming a delinquent!" Sayaka giggled.

_I'm glad Hitomi called me. On top of everything, this talk has really made me miss hanging out with her as well._

_One more reason to see tomorrow through to the end._

* * *

** Confessio **

Long red hair lightly blew in the air as the girl who it belonged to stood atop one of the many skyscrapers of Mitakihara. She was munching on an evening snack, clad in her favorite green hoodie and denim shorts. Her body was illuminated by the moon above, which could clearly be seen among the many shining stars in the clear night sky.

Kyoko was casually leaning on the railing of the roof and watched the beautiful scenery around her with a grin while she gulped down more and more potato chips from her bag.

_It's really pretty tonight. This city does look like some sort of utopia, doesn't it? Yet most folks have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. If it weren't for us magical girls, this place would get swallowed up by witches in no time._

_That's right – looks like I've officially become part of the hidden hero force of Mitakihara, keepin' it safe day and night. Mami-san would be pretty proud of me, heh. She'll have a few words to say about the Familiars I turned a blind eye to, though._

_Of course, it's also true that there wouldn't be any witches if it weren't for magical girls. That I'm not sure that even _she_ knew. If our Soul Gems get corrupted, not only will we fail in our mission, but we'll be giving damn Kyubey more contracts to sign._

_That's why we have to survive._

These reflections that naturally crept up on Kyoko's mind still felt a little strange to her. She had somewhat gone full circle – adopting a completely different mentality following the loss of her family, and now, her current thought process was reminding her of what her worldview had been before that.

Furthermore, she found herself thinking about her family more and more often lately. On top of that, she had gone to visit the church again after meeting up with Sayaka earlier in the day. And with that always came a lot of questions.

What would have happened if she hadn't used her wish the way she did? Would she be happier now if she hadn't? Would her father have fallen into despair anyway? Would Momo be alive and well right this moment?

Though she knew that those questions all inevitably led to the same conclusion – "who the hell knows" – she found herself pondering on them anyway.

Meeting with Sayaka and clashing with her had certainly made her rethink about a lot, however. The girl had made her realize that while life was certainly not a fantasyland, it didn't necessarily have to suck all the time either.

_Heaven knows I've gotten pretty bloody tired of that._

And indeed, for once, the gods had smiled upon Kyoko. She had seen a lot of suffering – both her own and that of her friends and family – but finally she had something to be genuinely happy about in a long time. Her foolish plan had actually worked and Sayaka was back because of it.

So maybe these were finally the days for some payback. Starting with saving Sayaka and sending the witch of the Walpurgis Night to hell and back.

_I sure wanna wipe that stupid smile off Kyubey's face… well, I guess he's the type to keep smiling even if he was about to be cooked alive for dinner, so I might not exactly get to see that, but… he's gotta feel _some_ disappointment!_

She then shrugged as she ate the last chip from the bag.

Putting both of her hands in her pockets, Kyoko moved across to the other side of the roof and looked downward to a certain apartment complex not too far away.

With a smile, she saw that the lights on the second room on the fourth floor were finally turned off.

_You finally tried to get some sleep, eh Sayaka? I know that it's not the easiest thing to do when you've got the whole damn city to save the next day… but you really need to rest up. Transforming into a witch and back takes it out on you, I bet._

Kyoko kept her gaze on the apartment below for a little while longer. She thought some more about her blue-haired kohai – as she often did these days. Though she could see why that would happen, she still surprised herself as to just how much she had grown to care about her. After all, there was no doubt in her mind that Sayaka was the primary reason for Kyoko's will to fight tooth and nail tomorrow.

There would be times, however, when she'd wonder just how much of that affection Sayaka was actually reciprocating. For one thing, the blunette still had reason to be mad at Kyoko for what happened before her transformation, but she thankfully wasn't anymore. She _had_ said she'd never forgive her for her words before, and she obviously had. Moreover, the concern she had occasionally shown for the redhead was not unlike the concern she always seemed to have for her friend Kaname.

But if Kyoko had to admit, her feelings for the girl extended beyond simple concern. This had become quite apparent over time. No matter how she looked at it, she wouldn't have gone to the lengths she did to save Sayaka if she didn't feel at least a little more than that. The fact that her kohai was on her mind for the majority of the time afterward all but proved that.

And she couldn't lie to herself and say that the look on Sayaka's face when she watched Kamijou earlier today hadn't hurt a little.

_Well, what did you expect, stupid? The girl gave her one, single wish for that ingrate. They have known each other since they were kids, for goodness' sakes. Though I can't understand what exactly she sees in him, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that such feelings don't really go away that quickly – if they ever do._

_Besides, I'm getting a little too greedy here, even for my usual standards. I'm just glad she's back with us. For crying out loud, I can still feel the happiness and remember just how glad I was the moment I saw life return in those pretty blue eyes of hers…_

Feeling her cheeks beginning to redden, Kyoko forcibly shook her head from that trail of thought and took out a candy bar from the pocket of her hoodie and at once started devouring it.

_Damn, this is why I don't like to think too much. Tomorrow's the big day. Can't let my lovesick self get distracted now of all times._

One last glance at Sayaka's apartment was what it took before Kyoko suddenly transformed into her red magical girl outfit again. Clutching her newly appeared spear tightly, she grinned as she leaped towards one of the other skyscrapers nearby.

"Alright, any Familiars out there? I feel like warmin' up!"

_Whatever happens tomorrow… I'm giving it my best. And no, I know _I_ couldn't get a wink of sleep even if I tried._

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Yes, I know it's been a couple of months. I'm sorry about that! This story will still be finished even if this takes longer than I intended to.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Walpurgis Night is upon us!


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